Backwards Fitness in New Orleans?

As you can imagine, I hear a ton of excuses from people on why they don’t exercise.

Sometimes the reason is self inflicted: I don’t have the time.

Other times the reason is procrastination: “I’m going to start as soon as tax season ends.”

And occasionally the reason is downright ridiculous: “The dog ate my gym shorts.”, “I can’t handle waking up early to workout” , “I don’t like working out during the winter”, “it’s too cold”, “it’s too hot”..

I usually point out to these well meaning folks that, despite their reason, exercise is a very important activity that will dramatically improve their life. I bring up the health benefits and describe how many of their physical ailments would improve. I talk about how great they will feel dropping excess weight and rediscovering a slender figure.

However, there was always an excuse that would get me.

The devious excuse of ‘being active’: Oh, I don’t need to exercise in a gym - I’m very active. I play tennis and hike in the summer and I ski in the winter.

Well, they have a point, right? Tennis, hiking and skiing are all active sports that burn calories. Maybe they can be fit without doing any other exercise, especially if they are at a reasonable weight.

Then I started to notice a trend.

The ‘active’ people couldn’t touch their toes in a simple flexibility test. The ‘tennis players’ couldn’t jump rope for 60 seconds. The ‘hikers’ needed a week to recover from a one mile jog. The ’skiers’ encountered injury after injury. And then it hit me.

You don’t become fit by simply being active. That’s backward fitness.
Only by being fit can you become more active.

To become and maintain a level of fitness there is no replacement for a consistent exercise program. It’s the only way.

True fitness is when your body can do whatever you ask of it. This means having flexibility, strength and endurance.

-Do you exercise? Or are you fooling yourself with the excuse of ‘being active’?

-How happy are you with your level of fitness?

-Are you able to meet all of the functional demands of life?

-Do you find yourself opting out of experiences or situations that you know would be too challenging?

If you’ve used the excuse of ‘being active’ in the past, it’s time to reconsider your options. Don’t practice backward fitness with the hope of true results.

Contact me to get started on a Fitness program in New Orleans that will make you truly fit. And if you’re furthest from active and simply want to lose those extra inches and pounds, make the decision to take action today.

After all, there’s no trial run in the game of life.
Make sure to leave a comment below..I love to hear your thoughts!

The Hardest New Orleans Boot Camp Exercise

It’s called the Burpee..Actually it’s a pretty simple yet advanced exercise that reeks fat loss
all over it!

It’s basically a Hybrid exercise containing a …
-Squat
-Push up
-Leap

1. Start off with your hands touching the ground in a squatted position.

2. Shoot your legs straight back and land on the balls of of your feet right into the top position of a push up.

3. Do a optional push up then shoot your legs back together towards your hands, landing back in the bottom Squat position.

4. From the bottom Squat position leap up and reach up for the sky then land back down into the starting position which is the
bottom position of the squat.

Reasons to do Burpees

Burpees can be considered the Holy grail of full body weight exercises. They are widely used in the Military, Football teams, and
popular exercise programs such as  exercise Boot Camps because of it’s high ability of challenging  your Cardio and Strength levels.

1. Fat Loss: Because Burpees require so much energy when doing them because you are required to use your whole body, they are fantastic at
increasing your metabolism which will increase the amount of calories your burn throughout the day. If you are pressed for time in the morning
and are looking to get rid of that muffin top or spare tire..doing a few sets of burpees could be what you need.

2. Strength: When Performing a Burpee correctly, you are using almost every muscle in your body. When done correctly
you will be combining some of the most challenging exercises that involve major muscle groups and area such as legs, abs, arms, chest and core.

3. Conditioning: Even though conditioning has no visual advantages to it. …having the ability to do a several sets of burpee’s
will definitely mean you will be able to run, jog, walk, ride a bike, play a sport or hobby better and longer.

4. Convenience: Burpees can be done anywhere. You don’t need any fancy equipment or expensive health club membership.
You can do them in your room, office or even your hotel room. The hardest part will be getting the motivation to actually get your butt
up and actually start doing them.

Check out this video of Mike Rowe doing a Burpee workout!

The Burpee workout Mike Rowe did is called the descending latter.

1.Start with a set of 10 burpees.
2.Rest one minute
3.Then do a set of 9
4. Rest one minute
5. Set of 8
6. Rest one minute

…… Continue lowering your reps by one on each set until you reach just one rep.

By the Time you get to 1 Burpee, you should be gasping for air and your legs should be feeling like Jello!

Things to note:
-Make sure you take your time with doing burpees, it’s important to get correct form..it’s easy to get real sloppy quick
-Don’t do Burpees on a full stomach unless you plan on not wanting to keep that food in you.
-Don’t worry if you can’t complete the whole workout, you can always stop and try again later.
-As always have fun…once you get this down, challenge your friends or husband to see who can finish the workout first.

Yours in health , Jonas Deffes

Our Next New Orleans Boot Camp Exercise Program Starts Soon!
Spaces are getting limited because everyone is feeling those Mardi Gras Pounds!

Make sure to leave a comment below, I love to hear your thoughts!

Exercise at ANY age in New Orleans

So you’ve slacked off a bit and avoided exercise in New Orleans.

Maybe your job demands too much of your time or you simply fell out of the routine because of the Saints going to the Super Bowl and upcoming Mardi Grass events. I have news for you. Whether you’ve taken off one year, ten years or haven’t exercised a day in your life - it’s never too late to start.

You see there are problems with living a life devoid of exercise. Big problems.
Your weight rises along with your blood pressure and cholesterol. Your muscles and joints degenerate at an astounding rate leaving you with daily aches and pains. Your body becomes weak, making you susceptible to all kinds of medical issues.

Why Should I Start Now? You’ve heard about the benefits that consistent exercise bring, but what if you haven’t been consistent? Should you even start at all? This has been the subject of many medical studies and the results are unanimous:

Exercise in New Orleans helps improve your quality of life even if you start late.

Researchers are constantly finding new benefits to consistent exercise. It’s no wonder that Dr. Robert Butler, of the National Institute on Aging, once said “If exercise could be put into a pill, it would be the single most prescribed medicine in the world.”

Imagine if a pill could offer all of these benefits (without harmful side effects):

• Substantially reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis
• Decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure
• Helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
• Contributes to healthy bones, muscles and joints
• Helps relieve anxiety and depression
• Promotes well-being and reduces stress
• Is associated with fewer doctor visits, hospitalizations and medications
• Helps prevent and treat chronic medical conditions associated with old age
• Increases energy levels and promotes sound sleep
• Strengthens immune system

I know that I would take that pill - wouldn’t you? Exercise may not be something that you can gulp down with a glass of water, but it will offer you all of the above benefits that can greatly enhance your quality of life. Excuses, excuses, excuses… I know what you are thinking. Those benefits sound great, but I can’t exercise because:

• Exercise is painful. Not if you do the type most suitable for you.

• Exercise is boring. Most people who exercise find it to be quite enjoyable.

• Exercise takes too long. It only takes 30-60 minutes a day.

• Exercise is confusing. Not when you work with a trained professional (me).

• Exercise if for young people. Studies have shown that exercise if for all ages.

Get Started the Right Way. Many people have started an exercise program only to quit days later. Now that you have decided that exercise may be worth your time after all, ensure your success with the following tips:

• Make a Commitment

You know the meaning and value of a solid commitment. It’s in your blood. So don’t view exercise as something you will merely try. You will only reap the true benefits of exercise when you stick with it. A great way to reinforce your commitment is to solicit the support of your friends and family. Tell them how you plan to improve your health and quality of life through exercise - who knows, they may join you.

• Set Reachable Goals

This is an immensely important ingredient to your success. Don’t start your exercise program with unreasonable expectations. If you expect to lose all of your unwanted pounds, drop your blood pressure and cure your joint pain all in one week then you will be sorely disappointed. Remember that it took years for your body to fall out of shape so it makes sense that it will take some time to regain it. The key to unlocking all of the benefits of exercise lies in one word: consistency. Only then will your body be transformed.

• Rearrange Your Schedule

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This may be because his schedule simply didn’t allow for it. The truth is that as we age there is a tendency to become ’stuck in our ways.’ The thought of rearranging your schedule may leave you a bit squeamish. Remind yourself that exercise is worth your time and then think long and hard about your daily schedule. The fact is that you do have time to lend toward exercise - you simply need to find it. Set aside 30-60 minutes for exercise and then stick with it.

• Increase the Challenge

You should start your New Orleans exercise program with the thought of easing into it.

Since you haven’t exercised in awhile your body will need to build up strength and endurance.

Consider a car that has been sitting in your garage for years. You wouldn’t turn it on and instantly slam down on the gas would you? You need to warm it up.
However, this warm up period should not last forever. Your body has an amazing ability to adapt to new challenges and will grow complacent when asked to do the same exercises over and over.

When your routine begins to feel easy take that as a hint to increase the challenge. I want to help you achieve all of the benefits that consistent exercise can bring you.
Don’t let another day pass you by. You deserve the good life.

Take action now.

For people who are interested in joining  My New Orleans Exercise Program <–Click here

Make sure you leave a comment below! I love to hear your thoughts!

From time to time I like to share “Personal Moments” with my readers and clients to let them know, I’m just not this…

“Super Serious Fitness Dude who Lives and Breathes Exercise and Boot Camp All Day in New Orleans“

And even though, I LOVE my Profession and I’m VERY Passionate about it…..

My main focus and True Passion in my Life is spending time with my daughter Alysse!

I made this video about a year ago when I first got my “Flip cam”.

At the time I had just finished taking my daughter to go see the Movie, High School Musical 3.

In the video my daughter is re-creating a dance number in the movie that they sung to called “You got 16 Minutes”.

Really I have no idea what the songs name is all I know is that they repeated the words “16 minutes” about 30 times.

Anyway checkout the video and at the end you will see my daughter actually takes the camera from me and starts asking me questions!

Make sure you leave a comment below! I love to hear your thoughts!
New Orleans Boot Camp

One of the amazing things about New Orleans Boot Camp is that allows women at any Shape, Size, Age, and Fitness level to Get Results!

Check out these videos to see what I’m talking about!

“Noticed  a lot of inches lost, Fun and Motivational”

“Lost inches All Over Her Body and 15 Pounds at New Orleans Boot Camp”

” Lost 5 inches and 4 pounds, Notices HUGE difference in Legs and clothes Fit Better!”

“First time working out, Saw Great Results, Lost A lot of Inches All Over and Really Pleased With New Orleans Boot Camp!”

All of these women are serious  action takers AND They did their part in fulfilling what needed to be done to get Great results!

The Next New Orleans Boot Camp Starts Feb 22, 2010. Right After Mardi Grass!

Secure your Spot Now! Spaces are limited and filling Quickly!
Locations:
New Orleans(Uptown) - Metairie - Lakeview(MidCity)

You Have A Second Chance to Still get in Shape for the New Year!

Click Here to Register!

New Orleans Saints Win the NFC Championship!

We Are Going To the Super Bowl!

WHO DAT!

New Orleans Boot Camp

Wait! Before you skim down to find which exercise I’ve labeled as the best, read the whole story…

It’s always interesting when I’m approached and asked to pin down a single exercise as the one that will help lose the most fat or sculpt the quickest. I’m always slow to answer.

You see, I’m acutely aware of the fact that though an exercise may be perfect for Client A, it may not be the best choice for Client B-hence my hesitation to label any exercise as the universal best.

That being said, there are exercises that are better than others. And, yes, there are even a few that I would label as the best.

What makes an exercise the best?
When deciding which exercises to include in your routine it is important to consider the type of movement involved. The simpler the movement, the fewer calories you’ll burn. On the other hand, the more complex the movement, the more calories you will burn.

Simply stated, exercises that use complex movements will deliver better results than exercises that use only simple movements. Complex movements recruit multiple muscles, some to stabilize and others to perform the movement. This process keeps your heart rate higher than a simple exercise would, giving you a more intense workout.

What is a complex movement?
A complex movement is a multi-joint movement that recruits large portions of the body to complete the exercise. Let’s compare a simple movement leg exercise with a complex movement leg exercise:

The leg extension machine uses a simple, isolated movement to work the quadriceps. You’re in a seated position moving only your knee joint. There isn’t much involvement, if any, from other muscles and it doesn’t burn very many calories.

Now let’s look at a free weight walking lunge. You start by standing with your feet together and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides (or a barbell across your shoulders, or a medicine ball held at your chest, or even with no weight at all). You take a large step forward and lower your back knee, keeping your front knee at a 90 degree angle. Now you push off your front foot and pull your back leg forward, repeating the movement.

How many muscles did you utilize while performing the lunge? Probably too many to count.

You certainly worked your quadriceps, gluteus, hamstrings, calves, abdominals, supporting muscles in your shoulders, arms and back-just to name a few. You also raised your heart rate and really kicked your metabolism into high gear. That’s what I call a great exercise.

Other ways to increase intensity
Using complex movements are just one of many ways to kick your workout intensity up a notch. Try incorporating a Super Set into your routine. To do so simply perform two or more exercises in a row and then take a short rest.

Or how about a Compound Set? Perform one exercise, rest, then perform an exercise with opposing body parts. To find exercises that compliment one another, choose ones that have similar but opposite motions such as a chest press and a row.

The key to finding the best exercise is to find the ones that bring your workout intensity to a whole new level.

I’d be shortchanging you if I named any exercise as the best. The fact of the matter is that it is a combination of changing your workouts up, using interval training, and even some good old cardio that will ultimately see you to your goal.

These methods will help you to burn more calories, increase your metabolic rate, and will stimulate the production of more fat burning and muscle toning hormones. Of course, there is more involved to achieving your fitness goals. You need to incorporate fat burning into your routine. You need to consistently challenge yourself during workouts. You need to take control of your eating habits and to get your diet dialed in.

So what’s the best exercise for you?

Well, we do a lot of them in New Orleans Boot Camp for Women <–click to learn more!

“If you are not making someone else’s life better, then you are wasting your time”

Thats One of my Favorite quotes by him in this video, I hope that you enjoy this video over the weekend as much as I have.

Special thanks to Frank K for sending it to me!

Jonas